A BUMPER fleet of 53 boats from seven clubs launched out at Wales' oldest rowing event, the 136-year-old Penarth Regatta.

Host club Penarth Rowing Club had some near misses among the 25-race programme, including a one-foot defeat to Monmouth School in their open fours heat.

Their two junior girls quads even dead-heated in their final, but couldn't get their bows in front of Monmouth RC, who took the trophy by a length and a half.

Ultimately, all 13 pots went to visiting crews, with City of Swansea enjoying a high five of success, while Monmouth RC and Llandaff also landed three wins a piece.

Racing was over 600 metres on a calm sea, along the cliffs towards the pier and a finish at the yacht club.

Swansea landed the men's open quadruple sculls, pipping Monmouth by a canvas in the heat before taking the pots by threequarters of a length from City of Cardiff, while Monmouth RC took the women's equivalent with a two length win over Cardiff followed by a two and a half length triumph over Swansea.

Making a welcome return to the event after some 20 years away, Monmouth School took the junior boys' quads, their A crew beating their B boat by a half length with Penarth third.

Swansea won the junior mixed quads from Monmouth by half a length, but Monmouth took the mixed quads from an eight-boat field, beating Swansea by one and a half lengths in their heat before holding off Cardiff, canvas winners over Llandaff in their qualifier, by a similar margin in the final.

Llandaff's masters men Martin Lunn, Nick Bowman, Henley Royal Regatta winner John McTeague, Huw Lewis and cox Rhodri Williams powered home clear of Swansea, but the Tawe club took the women's equivalent event as they beat hosts Penarth.

With the sculling riggers on the committee boat 'whalers' swapped for sweep ones, the afternoon's racing saw top Thames club Wallingford return to the Bristol Channel to retain the open fours title, beating Monmouth RC by two lengths in the heat, then Monmouth School A in the final by one and a half lengths.

Swansea took the women's fours by just over a length from Monmouth, who pipped Penarth for third by just three feet.

Llandaff A saw off Swansea and Penarth by two lengths in their mixed four qualifier before taking the pots from their B crew, conquerors of Monmouth in their qualifier, by one and a half lengths in the final.

The Taff outfit's masters quad sculls winners doubled up with a three length final win in the sweep oar version from Penarth, making it a hat-trick of pots for cox Rhodri Williams, while Swansea's Nancy Lloyd went one better, taking four pots by also steering her club's masters women's four to victory by one length from the hosts.

Penarth Regatta would like to thank their race sponsors David Baker, IT Pie, Disegno, Curo, Cardiff Gas, Fabulous Welshcakes, Osmond Drake, UDL, Bernard Cody, Thompson's, Romeo's, Coors and Principality.